US embassy cable - 03VATICAN1775

C O N F I D E N T I A L VATICAN 001775 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE MENNUTI, WHA/CCA, AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/28/2013 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, CU, VT 
SUBJECT: POPE DECRIES EXECUTIONS AND ASKS CASTRO FOR 
CLEMENCY FOR DISSIDENTS 
 
REF: A. A) VATICAN 1406 
     B. B) VATICAN 1401 
     C. C) VATICAN 1137 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR JIM NICHOLSON.  REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). 
 
1. (U) SEE ACTION REQUEST PARA. 5. 
 
    2.  (U) IN A DEPARTURE FROM THE HOLY SEE'S NORMALLY CAUTIOUS 
APPROACH TO CUBA, POPE JOHN PAUL II HAS PUBLICLY DECRIED THE 
EXECUTION OF THREE HIJACKERS AS WELL AS THE HARSH SENTENCES 
RECENTLY HANDED DOWN AGAINST CUBAN DISSIDENTS.  THE POPE'S 
APRIL 13 APPEAL, WRITTEN ON HIS BEHALF BY SECRETARY OF STATE 
CARDINAL ANGELO SODANO, WAS RELEASED BY THE VATICAN APRIL 26 
FOLLOWING CASTRO'S APPARENT FAILURE TO RESPOND.   THE LETTER 
CONVEYED THE POPE'S "DEEP PAIN" OVER THE RECENT EXECUTIONS 
AND HEAVY SENTENCES GIVEN TO DISSIDENTS.  IN THE LETTER, THE 
POPE CALLED ON CASTRO TO MAKE A "SIGNIFICANT GESTURE OF 
CLEMENCY," ADDING THAT SUCH A GESTURE WOULD CONTRIBUTE TO 
GREATER HARMONY AMONG THE CUBAN PEOPLE.  THE POPE CONCLUDED 
BY SUGGESTING HE WAS SURE THAT CASTRO SHARED THE CONVICTION 
THAT ONLY SINCERE AND CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE BETWEEN CITIZENS 
AND CIVIL AUTHORITIES CAN GUARANTEE THE ADVANCEMENT OF A 
MODERN AND DEMOCRATIC STATE, IN A MORE UNITED AND FRATERNAL 
CUBA. 
 
3. (C) EMBASSY CONTACTED HOLY SEE OFFICIALS APRIL 28 TO 
EXPLORE THE BACKGROUND BEHIND THE VATICAN'S RELEASE OF THE 
LETTER AND ITS UNUSUAL DIRECT APPEAL TO CASTRO.  COUNTRY 
DIRECTOR FOR CUBA, MONSIGNOR GIORGIO LINGUA TOLD POLOFF THAT 
THE POPE HAD DECIDED TO SEND THE LETTER (DELIVERED TO CUBA'S 
AMBASSADOR TO THE HOLY SEE) AFTER THE HOLY SEE'S "QUIET 
DIPLOMACY BEHIND THE SCENES" HAD FAILED TO EVOKE ANY RESPONSE 
FROM CUBA.  LINGUA UNDERSCORED THAT THE LETTER WAS MEANT TO 
PROTEST BOTH THE EXECUTIONS AND THE HARSH SENTENCES RECENTLY 
IMPOSED ON THE SEVENTY-PLUS CUBAN DISSIDENTS.  HE WOULD NOT 
CHARACTERIZE THE STRONGLY WORDED LETTER AS A NEW DIRECTION IN 
THE HOLY SEE'S CUBA APPROACH, BUT RATHER HE SAID IT WAS 
NATURAL TO "STEP UP THE VOLUME" AFTER THE CASTRO REGIME'S 
    SUDDEN RATCHETING UP OF REPRESSION AGAINST POLITICAL 
DISSIDENTS, MANY OF WHOM ARE PRACTICING CATHOLICS. 
 
4. (C) DCM ALSO QUERIED VATICAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER 
PIETRO PAROLIN AS TO WHAT HAD PROMPTED THE PAPAL APPEAL. 
PAROLIN SAID THE DECISIONS TO APPROACH CASTRO DIRECTLY AND TO 
RELEASE THE LETTER WERE TAKEN AT THE REQUEST OF THE CUBAN 
BISHOPS, WHO HAD CONVEYED TO THE HOLY SEE THAT A PAPAL 
INTERVENTION WOULD BE TIMELY AND HELPFUL IN THE FACE OF THE 
CUBAN GOVERNMENT ACTIONS.  DCM WELCOMED THE HOLY SEE'S 
ENGAGEMENT AND ENCOURAGED CONTINUED EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE 
DISSIDENTS. 
 
5. (C) COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST:  EVEN THOUGH THE HOLY SEE 
IS RELUCTANT TO CHARACTERIZE THE PAPAL LETTER AND PUBLIC 
RELEASE AS A NEW APPROACH IN ITS RELATIONS WITH CUBA, THE 
ACTIONS DO REPRESENT A DEPARTURE FROM THE CAUTIOUS APPROACH 
OUTLINED TO US ONLY A MONTH AGO WHEN LINGUA SPOKE OF THE HOLY 
SEE'S NEED TO PROTECT THE "VULNERABLE" CHURCH PRESENCE IN 
CUBA (REF A).  THERE IS ALSO LITTLE DOUBT THAT DIRECT APPEALS 
TO THE POPE FROM THE SPOUSES OF DETAINED DISSIDENTS, COMBINED 
WITH QUESTIONING LAST WEEK IN THE ITALIAN PRESS ABOUT THE 
HOLY SEE'S SILENCE IN THE FACE OF THE CUBAN REPRESSION HELPED 
EVOKE THE LETTER'S RELEASE.  ALTHOUGH THE VATICAN'S NATURAL 
PREDILECTION IS ALWAYS TO WORK BEHIND THE SCENES, THE SUCCESS 
OF THE POPE'S JANUARY BROADSIDE AGAINST RUSSIAN RESTRICTIONS 
ON CATHOLIC PRIESTS (REF C) HAS PERHAPS GIVEN ADDED 
SUSTENANCE TO THE VATICAN'S REGARD FOR THE POTENTIAL OF 
STRONG, PUBLIC ACTIONS IN THE FACE OF INJUSTICE.  WE WILL 
CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THE HOLY SEE'S ENGAGEMENT TO EFFECT THE 
RELEASE OF THE DISSIDENTS, AND WOULD WELCOME ANY ADDITIONAL 
    POINTS THAT MIGHT BE OF USE TO SHARE WITH THE VATICAN. 
 
NICHOLSON 
 
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